Berwick man accused of trespassing while under the influence of bath salts

BERWICK, Maine — A Berwick man was arrested on Saturday morning after trespassing on private property while under the influence of bath salts, according to police.

Joel Bennett, 27, of Berwick was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful possession of synthetic or hallucinogenic drugs. According to Berwick Police Captain Jerry Locke, on Jan. 28 at 9:55 a.m., police from Berwick and South Berwick responded to a report of a disorientated man, later identified as Bennett, on Guinea Road. The report indicated Bennett had walked into a residential garage and appeared confused.

Once on scene, it took the responding officers 10 minutes to locate Bennett, who was hiding behind a rock near 249 Blackberry Hill Road in the tree line. Bennett refused to leave his position from behind the rock and officers noticed he had his hands underneath the rock. Bennett was arrested at gunpoint as a result of his refusal and taken into custody.

After a subsequent search, officers found packets of bath salts underneath the rock that Bennett had dumped during his interaction with police.

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Bennett had three arrest warrants out for him at the time of the incident, all of which were related to unpaid parking tickets and traffic violations. Bennett will be arraigned at Springvale District Court on March 13.

According to Capt. Locke, this is the first arrest of its kind in Berwick involving the possession and consumption of bath salts.